New Year's Eve - A Fun First Annual,

Our first Neat Year's Eve Party is over and done and was a real treat for us and judging from the feedback it was a treat for others as well. Jill Zmud serenaded us early in the evening and the Sunparlour Players rang in the midnight hour with a performance that was so good that it could not possibly have been expected. The food was excellent and we were ecstatic about how the the Neat crew delivered.

The Sunparlour Players then took the stage. What a live show; the audience was engaged instantly. it was wonderful from beginning to end. After their considerable soundcheck (acoustic and electric guitar, bass, foot organ, three kick drums, keyboard, clarinet, banjo, accordion, snare drum, xylophone) was over, there was applause. Andrew was overheard saying 'Wow sarcasm, that's fantastic'.

The following two sets were nothing short of jaw dropping. The sets included so many memorable moments; the double time version of 'Detroit River' to get us to midnight, the stomping call for an encore, the many many encores, the finale ('Build It Up') where the band played amongst the audience with Andrew standing on a chair and the crowd singing backup vocals. Much of the night the floor and stairs were bouncing to the beat.

Andrew is an intense, energetic performer with a great voice. Dennis has a perpetual smile on his face and his voice is a great harmonic compliment to Andrew and his simultaneous bass/keyboard repertoire is a treat to watch. Rosie does nothing less than use every piece, every square inch of the drum set with an intensity that adds to the music..He also plays the xylophone with the same energy. Often instruments are handed back and forth; it's an awesome performance. Hidden in the quality of the performance are the songs themselves. The lyrics are deep and meaningful. The 'Build it Up' finale was really quite moving.

Jill Zmud opened with her beautiful voice and utterly charming personality. Alternating between her guitar and piano, Jill was a pleasure as a person and as a performer. We were even treated to a duet (coerced as it was) with Alan Neal

The old schoolhouse was decked out with some new fabric, dimming lights, candles and nearly 800 suspended ornaments. The Coffee Shop space had new tables and a decor that was thanks entirely to Nancy (our decorating pro neighbour) who popped by for most of the afternoon to save the day. The place looked pretty sharp if we do say so ourselves.

To be frank, we were worried about how we would deliver on the food; but the menu was executed on beyond our most optimistic of expectations. Crystal ran the show; dreamt the menu and planned it out. Luke and Crystal prepped and Brenna, Heather, Keelan and Sarah served the food like pros while Lynn tended bar.

Happy New Year Everyone,
Adam